Hundreds demand independence at Scottish Parliament

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Hundreds demand independence at Scottish Parliament

November 30th, 2014

Peter Nolan

Hundreds of people have gathered near the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood with St. Andrew’s Cross flags, music and speeches in a celebration of Scottish nationhood, amid continued demands for independence as St. Andrew’s Day celebrations got underway.

Poetry recitals, speeches and songs were on the agenda, as people wrapped themselves in flags and “Yes”-related paraphernalia. Even the blue Estelada could be seen among the crowds to show a degree of solidarity between various independence movements in Europe.

“Several hundred – even thousands – here today are here to voice Scotland’s dream of independence,” RT’s Harry Fear reported from Edinburgh.

“Their message is to the Westminster Parliament in central London that their campaign for independence is still on and still strong,” he said.

The push for independence is tantamount to a greater push for social equality, employment opportunities, and welfare support. June Riley, pro-independence activist told RT:

“This is just not good enough for Scotland anymore. Scotland is now at the stage where we’ve had enough of being ruled, we’re getting nothing, we’re putting everything and getting nothing back, and it’s time for Scotland to become an independent country.”

The Scottish National party has seen unprecedented support since the independence referendum.

A YouGov poll for the Times newspaper published at the beginning of November indicated support for independence stood at 52 percent versus 48 percent who wanted to remain in the union.

Some of the ‘no’ voters are also feeling disillusioned as their vote was influenced by the vow for extensive new devolved powers.

“We were actually promised home rule or devo-max,” pro-independence activist Gordon Johnson told RT. “What we’ve been offered now is nowhere near these conditions.”

“We have lost the first battle, but we will go on to win the war,” Johnson added. “We will not stop until we are independent.”

On September 18, Scots held a referendum on whether Scotland should break away from the 307-year-old union with the rest of the UK and become an independent country. With a record voter turnout, 55.3 percent voted against independence, while 44.7 percent voted in favor.